Mucosal Lesions & Oral Ulceration

The formation of mucosal lesions & oral ulceration has a definite effect on the quality of life in older adults. Some of these common lesions are premalignant lesions & oral lesions, candidiasis, vesiculoerosive diseases, herpes virus de-activation etc. Appropriate diagnosis & care have to be performed so that these conditions are treated in the right time. If these lesions (malignant or benign) are diagnosed in the early stages, it shall help in the management of various diseases. The quality of the patient life can also be increased considerably if the diagnostic procedures are carried out in an appropriate manner. While prescribing the curative drugs, the dental professional must seriously consider the side-effects of the medications. This is because the side effects of the medications vary with individual body constitution.

Oral ulceration: Oral ulceration is the medical condition wherein an ulcer occurs in the oral cavity. Most normally, the ulcer is present in the mucosal membrane of the oral cavity. Medically, mouth ulcers are also known as apthous ulcers. These ulcers can make daily activities like talking and eating uncomfortable. Mouth ulcers can be classified into 2:

Simple Mouth ulcers: These ulcers can appear 3-4 times in a year. When they are affected, they may last for a week. People in the age group of 10-20 years are mostly affected.

Complex mouth ulcers: They are less common than the previous category. They mostly affect those persons who are previously affected with this condition.

The exact etiological factors behind this condition are unknown. It is said that stress is one of the factors that causes the formation of ulcers in mouth. Certain food items such as acidic vegetables & fruits can result in such a condition. Sharp dental appliances can also aggravate or trigger this condition. These include improperly placed dentures, braces etc.

Underlying health conditions such as impaired immune system, malnutrition, gastrointestinal disease etc can cause this condition. A common misconception is that cold sore is the other name for mouth ulcers. However this is false.

The common symptoms of this condition are fever, swollen lymph nodes, physical sluggishness etc. The appropriate treatment method is selected on the basis of the diagnosis results. Some of the usual treatment methods include application of a suitable mouth rinse, an appropriate solution of regular application, corticosteroid ointments etc.